Monthly Archives: August 2012

What has happened to the importance of marriage? It seems that the number of those who believe in what it stands for has dwindled severely. This post is not about who should be allowed to get married, but rather why people are getting married just for the sake of being married. It is simply ridiculous that people are getting married left and right, and don’t even make it to a year of marriage. Why in the world were you married in the first place? It doesn’t help that a lot of these so-called real marriages ending in divorce before a year’s time, are being committed by celebrities. They are not setting good examples for those who admire them.

A good example of this issue, is the marriage that lasted a total of 72 days between Chris Humphries and Kim Kardashian. I believe their marriage was a sham from the beginning. I believe they married on the basis of fame and fortune. It was obvious to onlookers that their relationship was not based on any true values. Based on an article on http://www.healthguidance.org, most people would say that dating someone for two to three years is a good time frame to learn enough about that person before you decide whether marriage is suitable for your relationship. I definitely agree with that time frame. Kim K. and Chris Humphries were engaged after six months of dating. Based on their lifestyles, how could they possibly know each other well enough to jump into a marriage after six months?

I am in no way implying that celebrities should stick out a marriage that is harmful to those involved. However, I do believe that because of the lifestyles celebrities lead, they have to apply extra care and attention to maintaining and securing their relationships and marriages. When celebrities like Kim K. and Chris Humphries get married and don’t take the commitment they made seriously, it can be damaging to those who do not have a good example of what a marriage is about and should be based on. I am not saying that people should look to celebrities for advice on how to lead a healthy relationship, but it seems that the younger generations are leaning more on what they see on TV rather than the examples set in their own homes.

While I know this is beating a dead horse, the media should shed more light on marriages that actually work. There are plenty of celebrities that are married and have security in their relationship. I am sure they applied more care and focus on strengthening and managing their relationships, which is why theirs works. A good example of a successful celebrity marriage is Denzel Washington and Paulette Washington. They obviously didn’t marry for the attention they would get, but rather the real reasoning behind committing to your partner until death do you part.

I am aware that no one is no longer talking about the 72-day marriage between Kim K. and Chris Humphries; this post was actually influenced by the marriage between Chad Johnson and Evelyn Lozada. They were married for a total of 41 days after Lozada filed for divorce after being involved in a domestic dispute. They dated for four months before becoming engaged. What happened to courtship? Their relationship was not based on real values, definitely not any values worthy of marriage. Johnson regularly cheated on Lozada, who was aware. That alone is a reason not to marry someone, and it happened to be the reason that the domestic dispute occurred. Apparently there were several red flags before the marriage took place, but yet again, we have celebrities who are not focused on what a marriage should be based on. Unfortunately, you cannot expect someone to change because they have a ring on their finger, especially if their behavior before the marriage was accepted.

Abuse is a valid reason for divorce, but it’s also a valid reason not to engage in a marriage. Johnson was found guilty for slapping a girlfriend in 2000 and had to complete a treatment program. People can change, but he obviously did not. This leads me to believe this probably isn’t the first time he’s hit her. However, that may be something we will never know.

All in all, marriage is taking a beating, and we have those who don’t understand what it should be based on to thank. No, I don’t think celebrities are the only ones who are tarnishing marriage; they just happen to be the focus in this post. I would also like to say that there are some successful marriages where the couple dated for a short period of time before getting married, but this doesn’t seem to be the case in Hollywood.

Below are links that I found some of the information used in this post:

Day 41: (Max Interval Circuit): As usual, this workout was tough to get through, and as usual, I pushed myself through. Each time I do the circuit, I notice an improvement, which I think this is all about.

Day 42: (Max Interval Plyo): This workout was a little more difficult than times before. I was a bit distracted, so I didn’t put forth as much effort as I normally do. I wouldn’t say that it was a bad workout, but I definitely could have pushed harder. I hate V-Push Ups by the way. They are the absolute worse!

Day 44: (Max Cardio Conditioning & Insane Abs): I really pushed through this workout. I did it extremely late, but I got through it without less energy. The Insane Abs were just that. I was expecting a 20 minute workout, 5 minutes longer than the other abs workout. However, I must admit I was quite saddened that the Insane Abs workout was 33 minutes. It definitely worked my abs though. Good workout!

Day 45: (Sports Training): This is my favorite workout out of all the workouts. During my younger days, I played sports. This workout was reminiscent of that. I definitely enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure what to expect, so I googled a review and watched the video briefly before I did it. The review threw me off, but I was prepared for the workout after watching it first.

For those who know me, it is a known fact that I have a shoe fetish! I LOVE shoes!!! My favorite style is the wedge heel. For me, they are the most comfortable and are a lot easier to walk in. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I’ve been dying to wear the wedges featured in the picture below. I have been looking for an orange pair of wedges, and I am too happy that I finally found what I was looking for. This particular color can be worn in the spring, summer and fall. I don’t think this is a winter color, but to each his or her own. These wedges have a mustard sole that can be seen at the peep-hole. I really like the color mustard, so that was definitely an added bonus. I love this outfit because I am completely comfortable, and it captures my personality.

This was thee best comedy show I’ve ever been to. It featured Jay Pharoah (SNL Live), Gary Owen (Think Like a Man Act Like a Lady) and DL Hughley (Kings of Comedy). I laughed from the moment I arrive until I left. Not to mention, the seats were awesome, which was definitely an added bonus.

If you don’t know who Jay Pharoah is, please google him. He’s definitely under the radar in comparison to other comedians, but deserves some serious spotlight. He did a ton of impressions and he was very good. He impersonated Eddie Murphy, Jay-Z, and President Obama to name a few. While some comedians just stick to impersonations, he was able to tell a good joke as well. I am definitely a fan!

I have been a fan of Gary Owen since I saw him on the Wayans Brothers show. I have been waiting for my chance to see him do stand-up comedy. His act was great! Owen was even able to go with the flow without any hesitation when someone from the crowd started to heckle him. It can be hard for some comedians to improvise, but he transitioned back into his act smoothly.

DL Hughley is not considered a King of Comedy for no reason. Like Owen and Pharoah, his act was very funny! Whenever I watch him on tv, he never falls short. Watching him live was no different. During his act, he went down the front row picking on different people, which is routine for him. This segment was hilarious! I felt bad for the people in the front row, but they should have known better because this is something he does all the time.

This was the first Shut Up & Laugh Comedy Show. I am really interested to see how they’ll follow-up for the next one because this show was excellent! Kudos to the Mahaffey Theatre and 94.1!